Switch device



oef. "16; 1923.-

J. CLOSSMANN SWITCH DEVICE Filed Hay 15, 1923 `2 Sheets-Sheet l Eine-TST 'i 21 Zi IN V EN TOR im A TTORNE Y Oct. 16 1923.

J. CLOSSMANN SWITCH DEVICE Filed May 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR C'oJJmdlm BY {up} MATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

UNITEDsrATES,

ienTENT orifices.

, Jumps' oLosfsMaN, on vnnma., AUSTRIA Application sied Mai 15, 15231y 'sriai na'esaoaa.

To all 'whom'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, Jumps CnossM'ANN, a

citizen Jof the lRepublic of Austria, and a resident of Vienna, Aust-ria, have invented certain new and useful Impr0vements-in Switch Devices, of which thefollowing-is a specification. 1

This vinvention relates to a vsvvitchdevice which is useful both for making `and'b'realring electric circuits, yand ralso may be used Eas asafety device or automatic circuit breaker when the current exceeds a certain amount.

The invention also relates to means to quench any arcing or sparking, and more particularly the invention has -for its object to provide means whereby the ends of the arcs or sparks may be localized and so guideda's tobe quenched at a time when the ends of 'the' are are as far aivay from the initialA 20 contactual relation as possible so as to Vmaintain the initial contact surfaces clear at all,

times, andtohave any fusing if any occurs at points where such fusing :zg-harmless.r

Certain :underlying features ofthe present' inventions have'been zpplied for in applications filed by me and Halberstadt, "under Serial No. 607,441 and Serial N0.'607,442,

both filed on December 16, 1922, and ref-v :erence thereto is hereby made.

The particular improvement, different in this application from the matter of the preceding applications, resides in the formation of the contact pieces so as to enable their` co-operation with the arc to be such as to support the arc at the moment of its eX- tinguishment, which arc has a tendency to follow the magnetic blow, but on the other hand desires to utilize the smallest distance between the parts.

The 'invention will be more fully described hereinafter, embodiment thereof shown in the drawings, and the invention claimed in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of an apparatus in which my invention is emis 4a View taken from line 3-3 offFigLl;

Figure 4`is`a section taken on `line 1 4 ofFignQ; f i

` 'Figure-5 is `a vieur of a modified form of contact piece, the viewbeing similar to that of Fig. 3;

'-Figure 6 is tactlpieoe;

' Figure' is a diagrammatic view of the Contact pieces before their contacting;

vFi re 8 shows the Contact pieces brought toget er in-contact, and before the current is turned on, the contact pieces being held together, for. example, by a frictional hold;

Figure 9 shows the contact pieces after the current exceeds a predetermined amount, the distance between the parts being much exaggeratedsince in practice it is not visible to the eye another'modied form of con- Figure 10 shows the contact pieces just as they are separating, showing the arc as bctween Vthe Contact pieces;

Figure 11 shows the contact pieces scparating still further With the arc broken off, and only the end parts thereof being shown in osition; and

igure 12 shows the contact pieces as they are separating with an illustrative diagram showing the arc, the current and magnetic lines of force.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawingfjs.y and more particularly to Figures 1 to 1i, the apparatus is provided with a slate base 11 which has the usual conductor 12 suitably secured to the slate base by a screw 13, and to which conductor 12 a thumb screw 13 is applied which serves to connect the conducting wire 15 with the conductor 12. Any connecting means such as are well known in the practical art may be used instead of this thumb screw.

`The conductor 12 is provided with an upright 16 forming a fixed contact piece, for example, which `will be more full; described hereinafter.

ill)

On the silate base, a second conductor 17 is provided which is again suitably secured to the slate base, and to which the conductor 18 maybe applied by the thumb screw 19, or by any other connecting device.

The conductor 16 has connected therewith a france2() Whhisn circuit ,wj.1;.;l1,.tl,1econ-` ductor 17., ,'a d` th iS f'amefsuppdrtsf core 21, for example, around which are wound convolutions 22 having in the embodiment shown in the drawings-fxanplg "fuiff or five turns, but one or more or no windr ings can be utilized. One end 23 of the wireL or conductor forming cdnyolutignsor wind-A ings enters a slot 24 of thefraiiie 20, so'A as w be anchored @harem-tekeer @basarse action and' the ether ena of the. @villain extends away frojmitbe,frame,inthe/f4 mo a conductor arm 25,'at the end of avv` 'cha contactfmember 2,6 is secured. rThis contact member 26l will be, more described here-.V inafter. 4

fvi'hen the-conductor arm 2,5. with .contact member 26 is'in closed circuit position as in full lines .in YFig.l l, 'the conductor 25 erves to conduct thecurrent passing through the circuit, but when the conductor with its contact isginflthe open circuit position, as indicated liirdotted` Lines in :Fig 1, .in the arm abutting "gainst the-shoulder the circuit is interrupted.

Referring now4 to'the contactpieces 1.6 and The contact'member 26. in kthe embodiment shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 top consists of a body of revolution in the form of a cone with thegaxis of thiscone co-axial with the axis of the. conductor; arm r25. Instead of the cone, a semisphere or half cylinder canbe utilized. i

Referring to Figures V3 to 5, .it will be seen. that the conductor arm 25 is cp-axial .with the contact piece 26. The-base of the cone is perpendicular vto the conductorarm 25, as shown in Figures 1 :and 2 in which these parts are preferably at right angles to each other-.,The other contact-piece 16 in the embodiment shown in the'drawings, Figares 1 to 3, has a recessed or slotted portion4 at the upper part. of the upright V16, and the walls 27 and 2S diverge or incline from the portion 29. w

The upright 16 up to the portion indicated by the line 3Ois perpendicular to the plane of the slate base, and at any rate is a fiat surface, so as t0 Ymatch with the base of the contact piece.26 so that when the contact piece 25 rests a ainst the upright 16 the fiat surface o the piece 26 and the fiat surface of the upright 16 will intimately contact, and as a result they will, in view of their parallelism, create a frictional Contact of a closely hugging character which must be overcome before 4the parts are separated. In other words, the surfaces are so arranged that a frictional contact is obtained when one surface is pressed upon the other. rlhis may be augmented by a spring tension. This is preferably done by forcing the Contact piece 26 along the upright 16 against the action of the spring until a springtensioned.frictional hold is obtained; and in some cases also by a slight toggle action relationship.

he spring tension in the embodimentl shown in the drawings is obtained by the given to the conductor in the form of "a lsolenoid shaped spiral winding, and also in the arrangementof the arm 26 in respect 4to the'set'urns. ln' other words, when the arm 25 is placedin the, position shown in full lines in Figure 1, a Vcertain amount of spring tension-is overcome by pressureapplied by the hand or by mechanical means. The parts16 and 426 are frictionally held in position, by the base of the contact 26 coinciding with the contact 16 until the flat surfaces match, which gives the best full surface. contact. l

The member 16 is provided upwardly from the line 30 with a bevelled portion, shown in Figure 1 by 31, so that the upright 16 does not impedethe general circular movement ofthe contact piece 26, when moving into open position.

It may be said that the base of the cone rides on the surface 31 when going to closed position which is inclined or bevelled, and as itl rides the spring is tensioned, this riding: taking place until the base matcheswithA the Surface of the Contact 16, or until the base is below the line 30, the relative posi tion ofthe parts being such as to bring about a-,clamping or locking action of a relativelyv slight character, but sulicient to hold 4the parts in contacting position.

Rearwardly of the upright 16 it is also provided with a bevelled surface32. From this bevelled surface project members 33, which on their uppermost surface incline downwardly. These members 33A have their innermost edges or surfaces, indicated by 35, diverge from a median line or from the inclined surfaces 27 and 28, as is clearlyseen in Fig. 2.

The action of these parts just described is to so guide the arc during the separation of the contacts after their contactual relationship is discontinued by the surfaces described in the most favorable manner, and to the most favorable position for the end of the arc at the moment when the arc is quenched. The member 26 is preferably cone shaped or brought t0 a point as shown, so as also to guide the other end of the arc from the edge of the base to the point thereof, during the separation of thecontacts after their contactual relationship is discontinued. i

In Fig. 5 there is shown an embodiment Y in full` lines in Fig..1, and inorderv'to hold in which .the inclined Asurfaces2''r and 28 are omitted. The arm `25 .rests on-the base of the slot. The eectual initial contact surface is shown by 38. 'Ithe straightsurface extends to 30. if v In Fig. 6,asingle partcontactmember is shown, in which the effectual contact surface or initial contact surface isshown at 46, the arm 25 resting on the shouldere.i lThe surface 41 nclines rearwardly to theedge or Peak u .rg-qw i 'The operation ofy the deviceis the following:

When the parts are in the'position shown in F ig. 1, w1th.thearm4 25 .1n thelposition shown in dotted lines, thezcurrentis natur-v ally interrupted. U., j f L The arm 25 is then takenmanuall Athough it canJ also vbe suitably'mechanica yV operated, and is moved into the position shown it in position africtionahholdjs obtained. The sprin tension which is overcome to the extent of orcing V the base of the contact 26I against the ,flat surface .of v,the upright16,

augments the hold. yThereby this contact and pressure holds these parts mechanically in position. The current of usual or normal then passes through these result of this, the contact pieceA 26 is forced still further tightly against the Hat surface of the upright 16 and the ,-contactual relationship is made still more effectualV `and intensive, and the electrical resistancejbetween the contacting parts is thereby reduced to the lowest. These hitherto unknown Aphysical appearances areV founded 'upon'complicated actions of the currents and ftheir strengths, as well as the thereby formed complicated electrical and-magnetic fields.

This further tightened eifectmay be due to the action of the current upon the windings, whereby the convolutionsare'tightcned, or to the magnetic field produced b the windings, or the current eld surroun ing the arm 25 or due to electrical actions in the connecting parts, or altogether when the current flows through the circuit ineither direction. y During the normal operation of the device the parts function in the manner described, Vboth the frictional hold and the tightened effect holding the contact member 26 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

When, however, the current exceeds a predetermined amount, it acts partly due to the Joule effect upon the arm 25 and upon the convolutions so that the contact member 26 is moved away from the upright 16.` This movement of the contact away from lthe upright, overcomes the pressure of the parts against each other. This is but a slight effective movement, and not visible to the eye, but is shown in exaggerated manner in Fig.

' 9l` and is suicient to releasethe frictional arts, and as a hold between the iiat surface of the upright 16 and the hase Vof the contact 26. The friction is decreased suiciently to Vrelease the arts, and permit the contact 26vtonove under the sprin action, but an eicient contact is maintaine between the contact members, so that between the parts no arc or sparking is formed. From the initial position to the position of the Vparts where contactual relations terminate-there .isa continual change in the places of engagementef the contacts until Vactual. separation; takesy :place as in F ig. 10..., This, continual change results in preventing arcin at the initial point of'contact., Any. are' at is formed is at Vpoints otherthan at-the initial contact .pointss- At the separating point, as in ;Fig.10, the arc is neverat rest so no. burning ror fusing-cani take place.. Whatever vfriction there -isduringthe relative movement isV overcome by the spring action. The lateral inclination of the sides of the slot and the division kof the 'current into two parts by the two members,'serves to bring about a right angled relationship of the contact area.

In Fig. 10 the member 26 is shown just as it separates from contactual relationship with themember 16, and hence an arc is formed. InFig. 11 the arm with its contact 26 is moved slightly further and shows how one end of the are has been guided along the inclined1 surface 33. to the rearward peak 33 thereof, and the other end of .the arc has beenv ided tothe peak or apex of the cone. The llnes of force (not shown) Vwhich surround tlie inclined surface projection press the arc to the peak 33. v

It will be noted from the description and drawings that this surface 33 is brought rearwardly of vthe effective contacting` surface of the Contact members which is indicated ,by 38 in Fig. 1, and which in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 may be said to be that portion of the contact member 26 which is shown in dotted lines below. the line 30. This is the intial and compact contact surface.

Due to the bevelled surface 31 and the bevelled surface 33, together with the bevelled surface 35, the two arcs are split away from each other, and as far away from each other as possible,and as far away as practical from the effective contact surface or Contact when at rest as at 3S, At the same time, it willbe noted that the other end of the arc takes the position towards the peak of the cone, indicated hy 39 in Fig. 11, and also as far away as possible from the eieotive contact surface 38 and from the base of the contact member26.

The' provision of these guiding surfaces for the ends of the are brings about the location'` of these ends at points, where they rest until the arc is iinally broken or quenched. Any slight fusing of the metal is at the peaks and at as great a distance as una serve to separatethe arc loop',` as indicated by the' arrowsf' and- 56.`

`" It'is Jbelieved that the action of such forces and to4 operate to blow it .and 4quench it thereby; Aand 'as afresiilt lof such lforces which arefibel'ieved* to operate, it has been found continually change'nntil-thpartsseparate, that veryliighexoesscurrents and potentials and thisV again-insures thatmo'rcnigtalt'es may be utilized-"with th'ei'rel'atively small m rplaceat-t-heieili'eotive:ewrlaoesai"-Lf' ffil device-describedandshowmbecause the are c 4-lthas laenfstatedtlllhfth -which otherwisenvonld be injurious so int'-mqpmszbause'theyfi mazml'atadlyluai it bunnies-a1 1 on theiontactmemberflgbuiitiis of-"ou During tle action just described, the ends' clear-:thai @hoelaat be' ,lfbuadias'senaeaan i eifefairaliv beenadmiten/beamen en@ Bere-firing fo' caigay rfi-have' shm'f 'ielj pfes'es iid gelingen@ apeduringihe time Y I oflthe.cronol 2h6, a long its side, to thepeak 9' tions-serve also to'blov tlie arc in/S', pdnSQjt'hemQ.' The arc' naturally has the the field of `tle `arc"W-hen initially forrnff'ed',` asf betv'een thcpart butI on the: other hand is forinstancer'as in FigQlO, and the field is acted upon `by the blowing fields. And the r about as indicated by 52, and enlzfiid'ts, the a .'rc 1 formghfentblthe parts is vsuch to follow on into loop form.' 'Arrows 5,1 :andGO ind-f'ftlieone hai'nd'yth'ef'xpvmen,Of-th@ Birds 0f ca'tletlie -dire'ctionfof'the'currentl-l fItfCfIi be. 'theparo fand'gontheother hand; to provide in either direction.ijlvlienthlarc is` 'so`b lownj 1, means 'fofk dirig the arc duringI the sepathe field of force oflthe arcitself hasone (li- 1; ratedtniovernentofone contact in respect to rection7 as indicated by the arrow), and the other, as iar as possible away from the the upper portion of .the are hastheeld of initialcontact surface 38, and from the conforcc actinor in the same rotary direction,' as' tactual surfaces during Athctime the contact the lower part of the loop, but because 'it is members move relatively" .to ,each other. superposed upon the lower part of the arc The Vends'ofA the are have substantially no tthe relative rotation isin opposite direction. effect upon the points 33 andfz, because As these are in opposite directions the stresses before any fusing or burning can take place serve4n`tllonefhand to elongate the are londescribed' tlie arc the arcisfquenclielj, nr in 4other;words the attenuated: forin o'f 'the areprevents it from arcs, eaclipetirig'g'enerally in the 'manner described,J and the fields 'of forces thereof would bring about verjr complex, relations, and 'when-two members are .used the other contactjrna'riiben 'bridges ,th two. l x nernl er s. "Pa'rtp ftall-f thefarni; may beinade iof a materialwhichreadilyVr fuses, 'sothat the event jtliatg blocking ofthe contacts ieand 2`6`,taks 'placethe'fu'sible partofthe arm' will iiielt'and' break thejcircuit.

Thed'meusion -ofthJ ife, the`diar'neter of the coil, and the `number ofturns-of the coil or ico'nvulutions maybe such `that the opening of, the` circuit .only .takes place after a definitetim'sothata time switch is obtained.

I have shown e1 nbodi'naeltS4 ofz'myfinvcntioi'nbutitis' cleartlatichanges may-be made therein withoutfdeparting from* the. spiritl of the invention. V

What'lclaima'snewis: 1 l. an electric device, a contact member having an effective. contactnsurface: at

. one side thereof and having an are guiding projection extending. away from the-effective' contact, surface on. the` -other si de of .thelcontactf'memben and La. secilnidwcon-` tact z member adapted {to ybe contacted. with the eifectivefcontactsurface Vof the .first contact without contacting with the" are guiding projection, vthe plane, passing through theeifectivecontact surface` of the first contactmember being perpendicular to the plane of the path of movement of the second contact member. v j

2. An ,electric device, comprising-a contant member having an effective contant surf face at one side thereof, an are guiding projection .extending from gthe other side thereof and' providedl with a downwardly inclined surface, and a second contact member adapted to be contacted with the effective surface Contact surface of the first contact without contacting with the arc guidingr projection.

3. In an electric device` comprising a contact member having an effective contact surface at one side thereof, an inclined surface inclined away from the effective'contact surface rearwardly of a member, a second inclined surface inclined rearwardly of the first inclined surface, and a second contact member co-operating therewith.

4. In an electric device; comprising a contact member havingr an effective contact surface at one side thereof. an inclined surface inclined away from the effective contact surface rearwardly of the member, a second inclined surface inclined rearwardly of the first inclined surface, and a third suraiidajs'ecodcontart member having acon-V ical memberfthe base of which co-operates with,t :refl'ecjtive Contact surface ofthe first j e device, comprising a contact memler having an effective contact surface at one side thereof, an inclined surface inclined away from. the .efi'ective-contact ,surfaced rearwardly .of the .member, a secondfinclined surface inclined rearwardly of', the firstfinclined su'rface and asecond @1 -integriteit@ having a conical shape with the bas'eof theconicalrmember cofoperating wi'thgthe `effective 'contact surface of the first'gc' jntact menfber..`

taetmemberQhaving an effective contact surface' ato'ne'side thereof, an inclined surface inclined rvawayE l.f1- om the, effective contact s urfgge ;l:earl.'wardly.of the member` a second inclined 'surface inclined rearwardly of the firstfinclinedsuiface, a third surface inclined away frein the central. portion of the membenanda second contact member having aconical shape vwith the face of the conical n'ieinber o o-operatingV with the effectivelcpntact surface .of the first contact member.

8. In combinatioma Contact member having an effective .contact surface at one side thereiofand.aninclined proiection divergin ,gr therefrom atthe other side thereof for guiding'the arc.' a pivoted unitary spring.r andfhomogeneous `current carryingr arm, and a Contact memberon the arm havingan effective, contact. surface .for contacting with the effective contact surface of the first contact member without contacting with the arc `nfuifilingf projection.-

9. In combination. a Contact member having a flat effective Contact surface at one side thereof, a projection at the other side thereof extending rearwardly, downwardly. and outwardly of the first, contact. a unitary spring and current carrying arm. and a contact member on the arm co-operating with the first Contact member and having an effective contact surface adapted to be brought in Contact with the effective surface of the first Contact member without contacting with the projection.

l0. In combination, a unitary spring and current carrying member1 a convolution connected with the member, contact pieces, means for energizing` said parts for creatine; fields of force around the member. convolution and contact pieces, means on the contact pieces for contactingwith each other, and means on the contact pieces for gmdmg the arc, While acted upon by the'ieldso force to points distant rom'the contacting surfaces of the contact iecesV "1 1. 'In combination e ectric Contact members for closing 'an 'eiectrie'bircuit and 'for opening the samemiand means "for guiding the ends of the are-.formed the separation oi the contini;l membesldurgngtie *attenua-v tion of the arc'by the separatiopfftbe gonta'ct members al'ong plaoes "aiorable to the are .ends during atteifatom'the ariguding 'mams fwtfcntalgfyth each ot er. A W12. In cornbination,y bontati f' ni'iaznswfor Closing and p'fiin* an eledi'fet and, each Y"having taped eirpeaks in Opposite aireaianffreacbetng a; Perd means.' fmt Orifactigfitila? .i 0511,91.: 413'. are"prveriting"devmgfeiectrial eo'ntat meinb'e''s; liavinN eifetige 'coilzacting surfaces in Yonfrinty ivritli' athx Q'f movement of one o f tbiinifibrs'andfhav? laxwith the eeetive hontac't sgrtagehand a' second Contact member havman eifectivebeing substantially perpendicular witbthe MC guiding meelisplane i 15l A er@ pnvethg ,evcecnmnrsin l an electrical Contact memberthaving anmef r fective contacting surface; aliiringed ,in a piane, and lan are iding rojectlg'n zarranged in a plane's'n staiitlgalyr perpendicul'arto (that in w'hichftbe contactmgsurface is arrangem'anda SecQndcQntaQt member. 1-6. An arc preventing device, comnnising.

anelectri'al vcontactmembert having an ,effeetivel'contactn surface, arranged lin a planeten arcgni ingvmeans ina plane'rperpendicuiar to the plane of the Contact, a. movable memberfor said 'Contact lmember movable in a piane perpendicular 'to the plane :of thecontact member andlplane of thearc vguiding means.

L7.' An are preventing device, {comprisin an 4Aelectrical contact member, having an e feet-ive contacting surfaceatone side .thereganfne guidingmeans at the other 'side therdoffarranged in `a plane substantially perpendiclar'fto the contaeting surface, eitnding'awjay fromeaid surface, anda second ontactjmember. "'n ar -r'event'ing device; comprising 'eiectricifcontac't `ne'mberbavingy an 'eifecl ti'fv'e bont cting suif'fae, nieansvthei'eon for guiding" ''e are "along the path 'of tendency,v said means being eongated, and aseoond contact meinber. l

{71:9} ii'nf'frc "reventing device," comprising a` icntactmen d r, a member forgadcontact member,y a spring convolution for said member, means on said contact member for guiding the are, and a second Contact member contacting with the first contact`rnember Without *contacting with the are guiding r20.21131 arc' preventing device, comprising aconta'ct membe,` a member *for sald contact member a sprin member, the anis of tie spring convolution Iierpendicular to the Vpath 'of `,move ment 'of the member, an are guiding means fr'said Contact member, and la `second con' tact mel'iber contacting with the first contact member Without ,contacting with the are4 guiding means.

In testimony that claim the .foregoing as my' invention, I have signed my name hereunder.

'JULIUS CLossMANN.

cconvolution for said 

